JP3275390B2 - Portable closed container circulation type automatic transfer system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic transport system in which an object to be transported from device to device is transported in a portable closed container, and the transport is automatically performed by an automatic guided vehicle equipped with a container interface. It relates to a transport system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, semiconductors are manufactured in a clean room where the internal atmosphere is cleaned, and the semiconductor wafer is transferred between apparatuses or processes in the clean room in order to prevent dust from adhering to the semiconductor wafer. There is a system for accommodating a wafer cassette in which is stored in a portable closed container 40 as shown in FIG. In the figure, 41 is a container body, 42A is a flange provided in an opening 42 of the container body 41, 43 is a handle, 44
Is a hollow bottom cover, 45 is a sealing material, and the bottom cover 44 has a locking / unlocking mechanism as shown in FIG. FIG.
, 45 is a cam. Reference numeral 46 denotes a plate-shaped lock arm, which has a rolling element 46a and is cantilevered so as to be able to advance and retreat in the longitudinal direction and to be systematic. 47 is a fulcrum member,
48 is a spring. Reference numeral 49 denotes a cam shaft extending from a lifting table 50 constituting a container interface to be described later, which can be spline-engaged with the cam 45. The elevating table 50 has a built-in camshaft driving mechanism 51 for rotating the camshaft 49 by a predetermined angle. The container body 41
A concave portion 42B with which the lock arm 46 is engaged is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the opening 42 of the first embodiment. Incidentally, reference numeral 52 in FIG. 9 denotes a cassette containing the wafer W.

FIG. 11 shows an example of an automatic transfer system for a clean room using such a closed container.

In FIG. 11, reference numeral 1 denotes a LIM type inter-process transfer line. Reference numerals 11 to 14 denote wafer processing apparatuses such as a CVD apparatus and a film forming apparatus, reference numeral 20 denotes a stocker, and reference numeral 30 denotes an unmanned transport vehicle on which a transfer robot 31 is mounted.

In this system, the unmanned transfer vehicle 30 transfers a sealed container 40 containing a cassette containing unprocessed wafers from the stocker 20 to the carrier of the unmanned transfer vehicle 30 by the transfer robot 31. The wafer is transported to one of the apparatuses 11 to 14 and transferred to the wafer processing apparatus. A sealed container 4 containing a cassette containing the processed wafers.
0 is transferred from the wafer processing apparatus to the carrier of the automatic guided vehicle 30 by the transfer robot 31 and transferred to the stocker 20. The wafer processing apparatuses 11 to 14 automatically take out the cassette from the closed container 40 that has been received, and
It is necessary to automatically transfer the cassette containing the processed wafers to a D furnace or the like (not shown) in the closed container 40. ).

The portion indicated by the reference numeral A in the wafer processing apparatuses 11 to 14 is a portion incorporating this container interface, and is placed on a base A formed by this part, concentrically with an opening B formed in the base A. , The closed container 40 is transferred.

[0007]

As described above, in the conventional apparatus, all of the wafer processing apparatuses 11 to 14 of the CVD and diffusion furnaces and the apparatus such as the cleaning apparatus (not shown) have a container interface. These devices are bulky and expensive.

Further, in a wafer processing apparatus for batch processing a large number of wafers, it is necessary to consider processing of an empty closed container, and a space corresponding to the processing is required. For example, in a diffusion furnace for processing 100 wafers, the cassette is 25
Since the number of sheets is normal, four empty sealed containers are created.

A clean room requires very high construction and operation costs, and therefore, if the size of a wafer processing apparatus or the like becomes large, the cost is greatly increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve this problem, and enables a small, simple, and inexpensive wafer processing apparatus to be manufactured, reduces the required space of the entire system, and makes the system inexpensive. An object of the present invention is to provide a portable closed container circulation type automatic transfer system that can be constructed in a compact manner.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, an object to be transported between a first apparatus and a second apparatus is placed in a portable closed container and transported. In the automatic transfer system that automatically performs the transfer by the unmanned transfer device, the unmanned transfer device enables the automatic transfer of the transferred object from the sealed container.
The automatic loading / unloading device is provided in the carriage.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the automatic loading / unloading device comprises
A mechanism for vertically transporting the transported object, and
And a transport mechanism. This
As a result, the mechanism for transporting the article
It is not necessary to provide for each device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the unmanned transport apparatus transfers the closed container containing the article to be transported to and from the first apparatus by a container transfer apparatus, and the second apparatus transports the article to be transported to and from the second apparatus. It is transmitted and received by the transported object transfer device. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the transferred object transfer device exchanges the transferred object with the container interface device.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the cart and the second device of the automatic guided vehicle have a window with a door for transferring a transferred object.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the unmanned transfer device and the second device have a dustproof device for dustproofing a window for transferring a transferred object.

Furthermore, in claim 7, dustproof device is a cleaning fluid down flow from the upper window downward.

Further, in claim 8, the window and the window of the second device of the automatic guided device is communicated through a bellows-type hood.

In the ninth aspect , the inside of the hood can be purged with an inert gas.

[0019]

According to the present invention, an automatic guided vehicle (automatic guided vehicle)
For objects to be transported such as cassettes containing multiple wafers
Automatic loading and unloading (removal / containment) from closed containers
Automatic access device (container interface)
The equipment in the clean room
There is no need to provide an automatic access device (container interface) .

[0020]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 60 denotes an unmanned transfer vehicle (unmanned transfer device). As shown in FIG. 4, an automatic loading / unloading device including a mechanism for vertically transferring the cassette 52 and a mechanism for horizontally transferring the cassette 52 is provided on a bogie 61. Built in. Trolley 61
On one side wall 61L, a window 62 for loading / unloading the cassette is formed, and an automatic door 63 for opening and closing the window 62 for loading / unloading the cassette is provided. 64 is a wheel. An opening 65 is formed in an upper wall 61 </ b> U of the carriage 61, and a peripheral portion of the upper surface of the opening 65 is configured as a container mounting portion 66.

Reference numeral 67 denotes a lifting platform, which is large enough to enter and exit the opening 65, and has a flange 69 which engages with a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the opening 65 via a sealing material 68. The lift 67 is supported at one end of a support arm 70 extending in the lateral direction, and the other end 70A of the support arm 70 is screwed to a vertical screw shaft 71 and slides on a vertical guide shaft (not shown). It is movably fitted. This screw shaft 71
Are driven to rotate forward and backward by a driving device (not shown). The elevating table 67 includes a camshaft 49 and a camshaft driving mechanism 5 that rotates the camshaft 49 by a predetermined angle, similarly to the elevating table 50.
1 is built in.

A member denoted by reference numeral 72 in the carriage 61 is a cassette transfer tool. The transfer tool 72 is supported at one end of a support arm 73, and the other end 73 A of the support arm 73 is screwed into a screw shaft 74 that extends laterally toward the cassette loading / unloading window 62 and has a horizontal guide. It is slidably fitted to a shaft (not shown).

A cassette loading / unloading window 75 is formed on a side wall of the casing of each of the wafer processing apparatuses 11 to 14 facing the transport path Load of the automatic guided vehicle 60, and the cassette loading / unloading window 75 is opened and closed. Automatic door 76
Is provided. 77 is a cassette base.

The stocker 20 has a container handling device 22 at the back of the container outlet 21.

Reference numerals 91 and 92 in FIG. 4 denote optical communication devices, which are the wafer processing devices 11 to 14 and the automatic guided vehicle 60.
Executes a sequence described later while talking through the optical communication devices 91 and 92.

In this system, the sealed container 40 containing the cassette 52 containing the wafer before processing is transferred from the stocker 20 to the container mounting portion 66 of the automatic guided vehicle 60 by the container handling device 22. In this transfer position, the cam shaft 49 protruding from the lift 67 is engaged with the cam 45 in the bottom cover 44 of the closed container 40, and the container presser (not shown) moves the closed container 40.
The closed container 40 is fixed by engaging with the flange 42A from above. The automatic guided vehicle 6 to which the closed container 40 has been transferred.
Reference numeral 0 denotes a predetermined position at which the cassette loading / unloading window 62 moves from the central control room (not shown) to a position in front of the designated wafer processing apparatus (for example, 11), and the cassette loading / unloading window 75 of the wafer processing apparatus 11 faces. Stop at

(1) When the automatic guided vehicle 60 stops at the predetermined position, the cam shaft 49 rotates to disengage the lock arm 46 from the recess 42A of the bottom cover 44 and unlock the lock arm 46.

(2) When the unlocking is completed, the lift 67 is lowered to the position shown by the chain line in FIG. 5 with the cassette 52 and the bottom cover 44 placed thereon.

(3) When the lowering of the elevating platform 67 is completed, the automatic doors 63 and 76 are opened, and the transfer member 72 is moved from the retracted position (not shown) to above the cassette 52.
2 is slightly lifted, and the cassette loading / unloading window 62 is opened.
The wafer is carried into the wafer processing apparatus 11 through the cassette loading / unloading window 62 through the cassette loading / unloading window 75 on the apparatus side after the wafer processing, and is transferred onto the cassette table 77.

(4) When the transfer is completed, the transfer tool 72 returns to the original position, and the doors 63 and 76 are closed. When the transfer tool 72 returns to the retracted position, the lift 67 is raised,
The opening 65 is closed.

(5) On the other hand, on the wafer processing apparatus 11 side,
The cassette 52 on the cassette table 77 is transported by a transport mechanism (not shown) to, for example, a CVD furnace (not shown).

When the processed wafer is taken out of the apparatus, the operation is as follows.

(6) When the processing of the wafer is completed, the cassette storing the processed wafer is transferred onto the cassette table 77 by the transfer mechanism (not shown).

(7) When the cassette accommodating the processed wafer is transported onto the cassette table 77, the above-described sequence (1) to (5) is repeated in reverse, and the cassette is placed in the closed container 40. To be housed in

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
1 in that the automatic guided vehicle 60 is provided with a container handling device 78.

FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the present invention, in which an automatic guided vehicle 60 is capable of transporting a plurality of closed containers 40, and has a built-in container interface corresponding to each closed container 40. are doing.

FIG. 5 shows another example of the automatic guided vehicle 60. A mechanism (transfer tool 72) for horizontally transporting the cassette 52 is shown.
In no point mechanism) for driving the a, different from that of FIG. 4, the wafer processing apparatus 11 to 14 side, provided with a transfer device 79 which corresponds to the mechanism for driving the the transfer tool 72 is there.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 81 denotes a blower, and 82 denotes a high-performance filter (HEPA, ULPA, etc.), which is provided above the side wall of the wafer processing apparatuses 11 to 14 facing the transfer path Load, and During the transfer of the cassette 52 from the car 60 to the wafer processing apparatus and vice versa, the clean air flows down to the windows 62 and 75.

In this configuration, the space between the cassette loading / unloading window 62 of the automatic guided vehicle 60 and the cassette loading / unloading window 75 of the wafer processing apparatus 11 is a clean environment. Since the wafer is transferred from the wafer processing apparatus 60 to the wafer processing apparatus and vice versa, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the wafer W when the cassette is transferred.

FIG. 7 shows another means for obtaining the above clean environment. Bellows (food) 83,
One end side is attached to the window 62 or 75 side, and the other end side is configured to be in pressure contact with the periphery of the counterpart window, and the windows 62 and 75 communicate with each other through the bellows 83. The expansion and contraction of the bellows (hood) 83 is performed by an actuator (not shown).

FIG. 8 shows a configuration in which an air supply port 84 and an exhaust port 85 having a valve 85A are opened in the bellows 83, and the expansion and contraction of the bellows 83 is controlled by an actuator 86. 87 is a clean air supply pipe.

In recent years, a natural oxide film formed on the surface of a wafer or the like has become a problem. In order to suppress the growth of the natural oxide film, the inside of the wafer processing apparatuses 11 to 14 and the inside of the closed container 40 are exposed to nitrogen or the like. It is said that the gas must be purged with an inert gas for wafers such as dry air.
In the system in which the inside of the wafer processing apparatuses 11 to 14 and the inside of the closed container 40 are filled with the inert gas, the configuration shown in FIG.
The clean air supply pipe 87 is an inert gas supply pipe,
After the space enclosed by the doors 63 and 76 and the bellows 83 is purged with an inert gas, the doors 63 and 76 may be opened. Of course, the gas purge is also performed inside the bogie if necessary.

[0044]

As described above, the present invention is applied to a transferred object.
Automatic insertion / removal of a cassette from a closed container is possible
By providing an automatic loading / unloading device on the unmanned transport device side, it is not necessary to provide an automatic loading / unloading device in the processing device, so that the processing device can be downsized and the space in the system is correspondingly reduced. There is an advantage that can be used effectively.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a system showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a system showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an unmanned transport vehicle (unmanned transport device) in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing another example of the automatic guided vehicle in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a dustproof mechanism in a cassette transfer space between the automatic guided vehicle and the wafer processing apparatus in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view showing another example of the dustproof mechanism in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a view showing still another example of the dustproof mechanism in the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a view showing one example of a portable closed container.

FIG. 10 is a view showing an example of a locking / unlocking mechanism of a portable closed container.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a conventional automatic transport system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Closed container 11-14 Wafer processing apparatus 20 Stocker 22 Handling device 40 Portable closed container 44 Closed container bottom lid 52 Cassette 60 Unmanned transport vehicle 61 Unmanned transport vehicle trolley 62, 75 Windows 63, 76 Automatic door 67 Elevating platform 68 Seal material 69 Lifting platform flange 72 Transfer tool 77 units 79 Transfer device 81 Blower 82 Filter 83 Bellows (hood) 84 Air supply port 85 Exhaust port

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hinaya Morita 100 Takegahana-cho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture Inside Kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor, etc.100 100 Takegahana-cho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture Shinko Electric Machinery Stock (56) References JP-A-4-206547 (JP, A) JP-A-3-184331 (JP, A) JP-A-61-102045 (JP, U) JP-A 62-108383 (JP) , U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/68 B61B 13/00 B61D 27/00 B65G 1/04 555 B65G 49/00

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] An automatic transport system in which an object to be transported between a first device and a second device is transported in a portable closed container, and the transport is automatically performed by an unmanned transport device. An automatic transport system of a portable closed container circulation type, wherein the unmanned transport device includes an automatic loading / unloading device in a truck that enables automatic loading / unloading of the transported object from / to the sealed container. 2. An automatic loading / unloading device, wherein the transported object is lead-free.
A mechanism that transports the transported object horizontally and a mechanism that transports the transported object horizontally
3. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein
Automatic transport system with closed container circulation system. 3. An unmanned transfer apparatus, wherein the first apparatus exchanges a closed container containing an object to be transferred with a container transfer device, and the second apparatus transfers the object to be transferred to and from the second apparatus. 3. The automatic transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer is performed by an apparatus. 4. The automatic transport system of a portable closed container circulation type according to claim 3, wherein the transported object transfer device exchanges the transported object with the container interface device. 5. The automatic transport system of a portable closed container circulation type according to claim 3 , wherein the cart and the second device of the unmanned transport device have a window with a door for receiving and transferring the transported object. . 6. The unmanned conveying device and the second device is automatically conveying the portable sealed container flow system according to claim 3, characterized in that it has a dust-proof device for dust-proof window for the transported object exchange system. 7. The automatic transport system according to claim 5, wherein the dustproof device is a clean fluid that flows down from above the window to below. 8. The automatic transfer system according to claim 7, wherein the window of the unmanned transfer device and the window of the second device communicate with each other through a bellows-type hood. 9. The automatic transport system according to claim 8, wherein the inside of the hood can be purged with an inert gas.